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Install clean OS X

Berner5300

Berner5300

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 9, 2017
10
0
Hello

I have a question for you guys.
I have now tried for 3 days to install OS X on my MacBook (2009), but no luck.

I have tried:
- Install it from the utility menu, but got this error. "MacOS Sierra failed to download. Use the Purchases page to try again."

- Installed it from Internet Recovery, where it keeped staying on the "Choose network".

I have no cd and only and Windows and android mobile. What can I do?
 
Is it possible to use a wired internet connection? It might be that your wi-fi is using some sort of security measure or similar that doesn't work with the pre-boot environment.
 
casperes1996 said:
Is it possible to use a wired internet connection? It might be that your wi-fi is using some sort of security measure or similar that doesn't work with the pre-boot environment.
Click to expand...
I can try, but I have use 3 different wifi's. I will come back to you.
 
OP:
If your 2009 MacBook Model Identifier is MacBook5,2 then it does not support Sierra. You need the Late 2009 MacBook (Model Identifier: MacBook6,1) to use Sierra.

I do not think a 2009 MacBook supports Internet Recovery since the original shipped OS was Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6).
 
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CoastalOR said:
OP:
If your 2009 MacBook Model Identifier is MacBook5,2 then it does not support Sierra. You need the Late 2009 MacBook (Model Identifier: MacBook6,1) to use Sierra.

I do not think a 2009 MacBook supports Internet Recovery since the original shipped OS was Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6).
Click to expand...

What can I do to install the right OS?
 
CoastalOR said:
What is the Model Identifier for your MacBook? The answer to that question will determine what is the max OS you can install, if that is what you want to accomplish.
Click to expand...
Right now I just want to get an OS X on it, because the computer couldn't start and I had to erase the harddrive.
 
You won't have access to internet recovery on a 2009 MacBook, which is too old for that function.
Late 2009 MacBook can upgrade to Sierra.
Mid 2009 MacBook cannot upgrade to Sierra.

Again, we need to know which Macbook you have, which will go a long ways to help decide what you need to do.

How did you erase the hard drive? Did you boot to the recovery system (Command + r ?)
If you did that, then you can reinstall the same system that is already running. (remember the Command + r ? )
You need a good wifi network to do that (no strange protection, such as WEP, or a network that is otherwise "protecting" you, such as settings like proxy servers, which you might find on a business, or education network. Works best on a network with protection turned off - or a wired (ethernet) connection.

Finally, do you know someone else who has a Mac and may let you use their Mac to download your macOS installer - and make a USB bootable flash installer --- which is a great way to install macOS on your system, assuming it supports the system version that you want to install.
That's another way of asking "which MacBook do you have?"

Finally, if you only have access to the wifi that you have, and no other Macs are possible, then you should consider finding a wifi network that is usable for the macOS download and install.
Public library... Even an Apple store, or some other place that has wifi, and is accessible for you to use.
 
CoastalOR said:
What is the Model Identifier for your MacBook? The answer to that question will determine what is the max OS you can install, if that is what you want to accomplish.
Click to expand...

The model is a Macbook Pro "Core i5" 2.3 13" Early 2011 (MC700LL/A)

DeltaMac said:
You won't have access to internet recovery on a 2009 MacBook, which is too old for that function.
Late 2009 MacBook can upgrade to Sierra.
Mid 2009 MacBook cannot upgrade to Sierra.

Again, we need to know which Macbook you have, which will go a long ways to help decide what you need to do.

How did you erase the hard drive? Did you boot to the recovery system (Command + r ?)
If you did that, then you can reinstall the same system that is already running. (remember the Command + r ? )
You need a good wifi network to do that (no strange protection, such as WEP, or a network that is otherwise "protecting" you, such as settings like proxy servers, which you might find on a business, or education network. Works best on a network with protection turned off - or a wired (ethernet) connection.

Finally, do you know someone else who has a Mac and may let you use their Mac to download your macOS installer - and make a USB bootable flash installer --- which is a great way to install macOS on your system, assuming it supports the system version that you want to install.
That's another way of asking "which MacBook do you have?"

Finally, if you only have access to the wifi that you have, and no other Macs are possible, then you should consider finding a wifi network that is usable for the macOS download and install.
Public library... Even an Apple store, or some other place that has wifi, and is accessible for you to use.
Click to expand...

The model is a Macbook Pro "Core i5" 2.3 13" Early 2011 (MC700LL/A)

In the menu where I erased the harddrive, it's trying to install the OS X Sierra, and then I get the error.
 
Last edited:
Good, and that means that you already had Sierra installed (and so booting to the recovery partition which remained Sierra)
And, as a result, you are simply trying to reinstall Sierra.
Keep in mind that this is not a simple reinstall. The reinstall from the recovery system has to download all of those system files ( ><5 GB), then do the install of all those downloaded files.
It will work in one of two ways - through a valid network (wifi gets a little cranky, particularly for the large macOS download. Again, you need a standard wifi network, that does not require any challenges for the connection. such as proxy servers or other settings. A hotel, or other "commercial" network might not cooperate, for example.)
Or, a wired connection, direct to the router would be ideal...
Or, travel to some network that WILL let you download and install.

Or, third option (likely the best) download the macOS installer through the App Store. Use a different Mac, if you have to.
Make a bootable external installer. You can do all of that on some other Mac.
Boot your (stubborn) MBPro to that bootable installer.
Install.
done... :D
 
Last edited:
DeltaMac said:
Good, and that means that you already had Sierra installed (and so booting to the recovery partition which remained Sierra)
And, as a result, you are simply trying to reinstall Sierra.
Keep in mind that this is not a simple reinstall. The reinstall from the recovery system has to download all of those system files ( ><5 GB), then do the install of all those downloaded files.
It will work in one of two ways - through a valid network (wifi gets a little cranky, particularly for the large macOS download. Again, you need a standard wifi network, that does not require any challenges for the connection. such as proxy servers or other settings. A hotel, or other "commercial" network might not cooperate, for example.)
Or, a wired connection, direct to the router would be ideal...
Or, travel to some network that WILL let you download and install.

Or, third option (likely the best) download the macOS installer through the App Store. Use a different Mac, if you have to.
Make a bootable external installer. You can do all of that on some other Mac.
Boot your (stubborn) MBPro to that bootable installer.
Install.
done... :D
Click to expand...

Still have the same problem when I try with a wired connection.

Have should I do that?, how can I download the Sierra on another MacBook and place it on an usb? And what type should I make the usb to?
 
Steps on another Mac:
App Store, download Sierra.
The installer automatically launches when the download completes. Quit the Installer.
There's several sites that give instructions on how to make a bootable installer USB stick from the installer app.
I like the good DiskMakerX app. It erases the partition that you want to use, and leaves the result looking pretty with a nice drive icon and everything. I have used DiskMakerX dozens of times, making bootable installers for everything from Lion to Sierra.
Here's another dedicated app that I use, too.

Or, there's step-by-step directions for doing the same thing, if you are comfortable with using your terminal.

I also found this, if you want to try that from Windows...
 
DeltaMac said:
Steps on another Mac:
App Store, download Sierra.
The installer automatically launches when the download completes. Quit the Installer.
There's several sites that give instructions on how to make a bootable installer USB stick from the installer app.
I like the good DiskMakerX app. It erases the partition that you want to use, and leaves the result looking pretty with a nice drive icon and everything. I have used DiskMakerX dozens of times, making bootable installers for everything from Lion to Sierra.
Here's another dedicated app that I use, too.

Or, there's step-by-step directions for doing the same thing, if you are comfortable with using your terminal.

I also found this, if you want to try that from Windows...
Click to expand...

I will give it a go now, I will come back with the result :)
[doublepost=1499641256][/doublepost]
DeltaMac said:
Steps on another Mac:
App Store, download Sierra.
The installer automatically launches when the download completes. Quit the Installer.
There's several sites that give instructions on how to make a bootable installer USB stick from the installer app.
I like the good DiskMakerX app. It erases the partition that you want to use, and leaves the result looking pretty with a nice drive icon and everything. I have used DiskMakerX dozens of times, making bootable installers for everything from Lion to Sierra.
Here's another dedicated app that I use, too.

Or, there's step-by-step directions for doing the same thing, if you are comfortable with using your terminal.

I also found this, if you want to try that from Windows...
Click to expand...

Now I have a new problem. It has stopped the installation on "About 5 minutes remaining".

What should I do?
 
"About 5 minutes remaining" might mean anywhere from less than 5 minutes, to more than an hour. No way to really predict, except to just be patient.
If this is the second time you have seen that time remaining, I might give it 30 minutes, maybe an hour.
How long did you wait for something else to happen?
 
DeltaMac said:
"About 5 minutes remaining" might mean anywhere from less than 5 minutes, to more than an hour. No way to really predict, except to just be patient.
If this is the second time you have seen that time remaining, I might give it 30 minutes, maybe an hour.
How long did you wait for something else to happen?
Click to expand...

I have let it sit over night now, so it has been 10 hours in the process. It has changed to "About 3 minutes remaining".
I will let it sit untill something is happening :)
 
If you have problems booting, and a variety of other possible issues involving the hard drive, and those work better after you replace the SATA cable, then that's how you test it, by replacing that cable.
There's usually nothing about the cable that is visible --- unless it is visibly damaged, of course. That doesn't happen very often. The cable tends to be quite fragile.

Recommendation for a replacement drive? Replace the spinning hard drive with an SSD.
 
DeltaMac said:
If you have problems booting, and a variety of other possible issues involving the hard drive, and those work better after you replace the SATA cable, then that's how you test it, by replacing that cable.
There's usually nothing about the cable that is visible --- unless it is visibly damaged, of course. That doesn't happen very often. The cable tends to be quite fragile.

Recommendation for a replacement drive? Replace the spinning hard drive with an SSD.
Click to expand...

Okay, I will look for that.

It was if there was some speciel SSD I needed to use in a MacBook.
 
OP:

ANY SSD will do. You DO NOT need to spend more for "a faster" SSD, because they'll all run the same speed on a 2009 MacBook (it has a slower bus, and ANY drive will be "faster than the bus").

Having said that...
I think your best course of action would be to get a USB flash drive 16gb (or larger).
Then use either "DiskMaker X" or "Install Disk Creator" to install a bootable copy of the installer onto the flash drive.
Then boot from the flash drive and install Sierra that way.
 
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